[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries by accident (P. 50) French weavers accidentally created denim fabric thanks to their failure to recreate the famous Italian serge fabric
31-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) The creation of Denim was an accidental discovery in the 17th century when some people in France tried to reproduce a fabric called serge de nimes.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 49) Michael Sveda accidentally discovered the artificial sweetener Cyclamate while synthesizing an antipyretic
31-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) Cyclamate is an artificial sweetener discovered in 1937 by a graduate student named Michael Sveda at the University of Illinois.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 48) Edwin Beard Budding accidentally came up with the idea of the lawnmower while developing a cloth trimmer
30-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) The lawn mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, who was inspired by the machine to cut cloth to create a smooth surface after weaving.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 45) Ralph Wiley accidentally discovered Saran plastic while cleaning lab equipment
28-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) Saran plastic, used as food wrap, was accidentally discovered in 1933 by Ralph Wiley, a laboratory worker at the Dow Chemical Company.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 44) Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov accidentally discovered graphene while working on graphite
25-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) Graphene was discovered in 2004 by two researchers, Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, both of whom were working at the University of Manchester in the UK at the time.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 42) Don McPherson accidentally develops colorblindness curing glasses when creating surgical safety glasses
23-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) It was during a Frisbee game with a friend in Santa Cruz (USA), when the Don McPherson discovered inadvertently that one of his creations was able to correct the colorblindness in people.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 41) Netherlands Cancer Institute accidentally discovered the tubarial salivary gland while doing research on prostate cancer
21-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) Scientists in the Netherlands have discovered a potential new organ in the human throat that they stumbled upon while carrying out research on prostate cancer.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident P. 40) James Schlatter accidentally discovered the sweetener aspartame while trying to develop an anti-ulcer drug
18-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) Aspartame's discovery was an unintended consequence of a scientist named James Schlatter's attempt to develop an anti-ulcer drug in 1965.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 39) Lee Kum Sheung accidentally invented oyster sauce when forgetting to turn off the simmered oyster pot
16-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) When Lee Kum Sheung forgot about a pot of oysters simmering on the hob, he inadvertently created oyster sauce and launched one of the world’s largest food companies.
[Worldkings] Top 50 inventions and discoveries made by accident (P. 38) Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson stumble upon evidence of the Big Bang while observing radio astronomy
14-08-2023
(Worldkings.org) In the mid-1960s, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson made an accidental discovery, which became central to the current leading theory of the creation of the universe – The Big Bang.